History of Indian and Eastern ArchitectureFergusson, James
History
History of Indian and Eastern Architecture
Fergusson, James
Architecture -- India; Architecture, Asian
The astylar temples of the Hindus were useless to the Moslems except as
quarries--a purpose to which they were frequently applied; but the light
columnar style of the Jains not only supplied materials more easily
adapted to their purposes, but furnished hints of which the Moslem
architects were not slow to avail themselves. The architecture of
Ahmedabad, for instance (A.D. 1396 to 1572), is derived far more
directly from the Jaina than from any style familiar to their
co-religionists in any other part of the world. The same may be said of
that of Juanpore, though in the last-named city there is hardly a stone
that can be said to be derived direct from any previously existing
building.
The process by which this conversion of a Jaina temple to a Moslem
mosque was effected will be easily understood by referring to the plan
of that of Vimala Sah, on Mount Abu (Woodcut No. 129, p. 235). By
removing the principal cell and its porch from the centre of the court,
and building up the entrances of the cells that surround it, a courtyard
was at once obtained, surrounded by a double colonnade, which always was
the typical form of a mosque. Still one essential feature was wanting--a
more important side towards Mecca; this they easily obtained by removing
the smaller pillars from that side, and re-erecting in their place the
larger pillars of the porch, with their dome in the centre; and, if
there were two smaller domes, by placing one of them at each end. Thus,
without a single new column or carved stone being required, they
obtained a mosque which, for convenience and beauty, was unsurpassed by
anything they afterwards erected from their own original designs.
CHAPTER V.
JAINA STYLE IN SOUTHERN INDIA.
CONTENTS.
Bettus--Bastis.
A good deal has been done lately in the way of photographing the
monuments of the Jains in southern India, but nothing, so far as I am
aware, has recently been written that gives any statistical account of
their present position in the country, nor any information when their
establishments were first formed in Mysore and Canara.[291] What is even
more to be regretted for our present purposes is, that no plans have
been made of their buildings and no architectural details drawn, so that
altogether our knowledge of the subject is somewhat superficial; but it
is interesting from its extent, and curious from the unexpected
relationship it reveals with other styles and countries.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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